Combined can perforator and closure.



M. WILD. COMBINED CAN PERFORATOR AND CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 19l6.

Patented July 24, 1917.

MICHAEL WIIiD, 01 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, JEIDLICKA, DE LOS ANGELES,

ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 LEO CALIFORNIA.

COMBINED CAN PERFORATOR AND CLOSURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 191?.

' Application filed July 24, 1916. Serial No. 113,027.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL WILD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combined CanPerforators and Closures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to combined perforating and closure means for milkcans and the like and the primary object is to provide a simple andeflicient device of sanitary character which may be used principally forpiercing the tops of condensed milk cans so that the milk may be pouredfrom the cans readily when the can is tilted, but which, when the can isheld or supported vertically, will completely close the perforationsthus made and prevent the entrance of dirt into the cans. Flies are alsoprevented from having access to the openings in the can, and thisfeature alone commends my device to householders.

It is usually necessary to provide but a very small opening in the topsof the can as relatively small quantities of the milk are used at atime, and in order that the milk may flow readily from the opening Iprovide another opening in the can top through which the air may enterthe can. Other objects may appear as the description of my inventionprogresses.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my device attachedto the top of a can; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same, in section onthe longitudinal center line of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front end elevation;and Fig. 4 is a rear end elevation. Similar characters of reference areused 'in the vanous views of the drawing and in the specification toindicate like parts.

My device comprises two members, the lower member 1 forming a base andbeing capable of attachment to the top of thecan 2 and the other member3 bemg pivoted thereto. The member 1 is bifurcated at the front end andthe furcations 4 are bent upwardly and then downwardly to form resilientclamps and are adapted to be forced downwardly over the bead 5 of thecan 6.

e rear end of the member 1 has a single centrally formed clamp 7 whichresiliently engages the opposite side of the head 5 and on each Side ofthe clamp 7 a hinge extension 8 is formed which is extended upwardlyabove the central body of the member 1. An operating lever, whichconstitutes the member 3, hereinbefore referred to, is pivotallyattached to the member 1 at the rear end by means of the hinge pin 9which extends through the extensions 8 on the member 1 and the similarextensions 10 on the lever. An extension lip 11 is formed on the lever 3at the rear and is extended sufficiently back of the hinge joint forraising the lever from its normal position, this extension being bentupwardly over the hinge.

The front portion of the lever 1 extends over the top of the can and thebody of the member 3 and is provided with two cutters 12 and 13 whichare flat and relatively narrow and are reduced at their upper ends andriveted to the body of the lever. ters may be suitably arranged as shownin Fig. 2, or otherwise, as convenience may require.

The forward cutter 12, which is the longest of the two, is preferablypositioned at a point near the periphery of the can 6 and the othercutter 13 may be positioned at a point on the opposite side of thecenter, preferably near the opposite portion of the periphery of thecan. The cutter 13 is substantially shorter than the cutter 12 so thatwhen the device is placed in position on the can top the points on bothof the cutters may both rest thereon before the perforating operation,so that but a single pressure on the part of the operator will berequired to make both perforations. The cutter 12 engages the can top 14between the furcations 4 of the member 1, and the cutter 13 engages thetop through the opening 15 formed in the sure of the hand of theoperator on the flat surface of the lever 3 which rests normally abovethe member 1 operation, causes the points of the cutters 12 and 13 topierce the can top 14 and the openings l6 and 17 are made in the top ofthe can. It is preferable, for the best results that the lever 3 shouldbe forced downwardly until it will rest upon the body of the member 1,so that no dirt can enter the openings and flies will be prevented fromhaving access to the portion of the can top on which any of the milk mayremain after the openings are made. It is apparent that when the can isin an upright position, as shown in Fig. 2, the lever 3 will rest uponThese cut- 7 prior to the perforating member 1, and a slight presthemember 1 and the cutters 12 and 13 will occupy the openings in the topof the can which conform exactly to the shape of the cutters by whichthey were formed, thus providing closures for the openings.

When the can is inclined for pouring off a quantity of the milktherefrom, the lever 3 may be raised by pressing downwardly on theextension lip 11, when the lever will occupy a position as indicated bythe broken lines in Fig. 2, or, the lever may be permitted to fall bygravity, which it will do readily if the finger of the operator does notprevent.

It is obvious that the cutters may be made of any desirable shape orsize to suit the requirements and many other modifications may also bemade in the device without enlarging the scope or departing from thespirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A combined can perforator and closure therefor including a basemember removably and resiliently attachable to the can in proximity tothe top thereof, and cutter means arranged to operate through said basemember for perforating the can at one or more points, said cuttersforming closures for the perforations in the can when the canis'supported in upright position.

2. A can perforator and closure comprising a base resiliently andremovably supported on the can in proximity to the top thereof, and anoperating member pivotally supported on one end of said base andprovided with cutters for perforating the can top at points and capableof movement in a plane longitudinally of the can to permit the emissionof the contents therefrom and the admission of the air thereto, saidcutters forming closures for the perforations when the can is supportedin an upright position.

3. A can perforator and closure comprising a base resiliently andremovably supported on the can in proximity to the top thereof, and anoperating member pivotally supported on said base and provided with apair of cutters operable through said base for perforating the can topat difierent points, said cutters forming closures for the perforationsthus made when the can is in an upright position and being movable outof the perforations when the can is inclined for discharging thecontents of the can.

4:. A can perforator and closure comprising a base member resilientlyand removably held in position on the can top, and an operating memberhinged thereto and capable of movement Vertically relative thereto,cutters being provided on said operating member for piercing the can topand said cutters being operable through said base member.

5. Acan perforator comprising a removable base and an operating memberpivoted thereto having a pair of cutters movably held for piercing thecan top, openings being provided in said base to permit the ac tion ofthe cutters on the top and said outters being capable of use for closingthe openings thus made.

Signed at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, this 5th day of July, 1916.

MICHAEL WILD.

Witnesses:

OHAs. H. WILD, KATHRYNE H. MACK.

